Digital Web Work Wins Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Arts Award

Posted on Oct 29, 2011

Embargoed to Oct. 29, 2011, 12:01 a.m.

Halifax, N.S. – David Clark’s 88 Constellations for Wittgenstein (to be played with the left hand) captured the $25,000 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Arts Award at a gala dinner in Halifax’s Cunard Centre last night (Oct. 28). The winner was selected by an arms-length jury of five: Lorraine Field (photography/ceramics), Halifax, jury chair, and herself a finalist for the award in 2007. Norman Adams (music/performance), Halifax, Michelle Jacques (visual and media arts), Toronto, Amanda Dawn Christie (interdisciplinary) Moncton, and John Walker (film) Halifax, completed the jury.

This is the first time a web-based work has won the award. In making its selection, the jury commented on the work’s accessibility and its invitation to play, despite being technically very complex and intellectually rigorous. They called it dazzling and elegant — “it sucks you in and you spend hours exploring this delightful labyrinth of ideas, images, poetry and music.” It can be seen on the web at http://88constellations.net/.

This year also saw an increase in the awards to the other four finalists: Equine Studies, a series of large-scale colour photographs by Susan McEachern, Investigation 1, an interdisciplinary project for the Artifact Institute by Tim Dallett and Adam Kelly, See Below, an immersive experience of the oceans by Susan Feindel, and The Warming Hut, a shelter for skaters at the Halifax Oval created by Robin Muller and Sarah Bonnemaison for the Architextile Lab. Each received $3000.

Images of the works are on the Foundation website: www.nsmasterworks.ca . The Award recognizes the excellence and creation of a particular work of art or performance of art, which has made a significant impact in its public presentation, and contributed to the historical development and contemporary practice of the art form. The work must have had its first public presentation within the past five years.

The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Arts Award is made possible by major funding from the Province of Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Masterwork Awards Foundation also gratefully acknowledges the support of The Craig Foundation, Scotiabank, Stewart McKelvey and The Coast.